Where'd You Go?
by evanescentblaze
Summary: Cloud comes back to Seventh Heaven only to find that a certain barmaid and two orphans aren't there. Where'd they go? And can Cloud get them back? One-shot. Songfic. Cloti-ness.


**Hey everyone! So this is a one-shot song fic about Cloud and Tifa, because they were my very first FFVII OTP. :) It doesn't really have a specific place. It'd probably be placed better before Advent Children when Cloud is all broody moody, but since the ending wouldn't make sense that way, I suppose it has to be set after Advent Children assuming that after everything is resolved, Cloud leaves...again. Anyway, you can put it wherever you see it best. Or just not put it anywhere either. That works too. The lyrics are from the song "Where'd You Go" by Fort Minor, one of my favorites. Rating is for the lyrics, because there is a wirty-derd in there.**

**I don't own Final Fantasy VII. And it's very tragic. Don't own the song "Where'd You Go" either, which is slightly less tragic but still tragic enough.**

* * *

**Where'd You Go?**

_Where'd you go? I miss you so. Seems like it's been forever that you've been gone…_

When Cloud walked into Seventh Heaven, the place was eerily quiet. The only sound was the clunk of his boots hitting the hardwood floor as he walked into the empty bar. His eyes took in the bare shelves, the dusty counter, the chairs turned over onto the tables. The place was completely deserted. There was no one and nothing here.

He had first begun to feel nervous when he pulled up beside the business and had noticed that there were no lights on. It was only early evening. There were still streams of sunlight glowing softly on the walls of the buildings in Edge, casting long shadows over everything. The effect only added to the foreboding feeling Cloud felt. If the lights were off, the bar must be closed, but why? He wondered if something had happened. Was there an emergency? Had she been called away? Where was she? Where were the children? Now worry began to gnaw at him as he took in all the dark, dusty corners. The bar wasn't just closed, it was gone. The only thing left was the counter and a couple of tables with chairs sitting on top of them. Everything else had disappeared. Had Seventh Heaven gone bankrupt? Why hadn't she called him?

He called out her name. "Tifa?" His voice was quickly absorbed by the silence. Somehow he knew that nobody would answer. The only noise came from the street outside where people walked by without a glance. He headed toward the stairs. Maybe there was a clue up there to what had happened, to where they had gone. But when Cloud looked in the first room, he found that everything there had disappeared too. The search of the other rooms yielded the same results. There was nothing. Nothing but dust. In fact, it hadn't looked as if anybody had lived there at all. But, how could that be?

He went back downstairs and searched the backroom and the kitchen desperately for something. A notice, a sign. Still nothing. Everything was gone.

"You're Cloud, right?"

Cloud spun around, drawing his sword and pointing it at the figure that had somehow snuck up on him. He glared at it until his eyes adjusted and he realized it was only a small, middle-aged woman. She blinked at him with light green eyes, her face, which had the ghost of wrinkles on it, slightly shocked and frightened. She had chestnut brown hair that was pulled back only halfway. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Cloud saw her grab a part of her floral house dress nervously as she eyed his sword.

Cloud slowly lowered his weapon. He didn't like being snuck up on, but it wouldn't be good to attack just anyone who did it. He had to be more careful in the city. On the road, things that snuck on him were monsters. Here though…there were people.

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling hesitantly at him now that his sword was no longer pointed directly at her. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just noticed your motorcycle outside. It's about time you showed up."

"Who are you?" he asked, slightly suspicious. He'd never seen this woman before.

"My name's Marianne. I moved across the street two years ago. We've never met, but Tifa told me a lot about you."

"You know Tifa?" he asked. He put his sword up. He could tell that it was making the woman nervous, although she was trying to hide it. "Do you know where she is?"

The woman shook her head. "No, sorry. She didn't know where she was going—"

"Going?"

The woman frowned. "You don't know? She said she couldn't stay here anymore. I think she was getting tired of the life she was leading. So she packed up and moved around with the children. Didn't have a destination or anything. Said she'd settle down when she found the right place."

"She moved?" Cloud looked off, his face twisting in confusion. "Why didn't she tell me she was moving?"

The woman shrugged. "That's something you'll have to ask her."

"How can I reach her?" he asked.

Marianne bit her lip. "Well, she gave me a number that she said I could reach her at, but that she'd only be there for three months at the most. I'm afraid it wouldn't help you now."

"Three months? How long has it been?"

She hesitated. "You…you really don't know?" She tilted her head slightly at him. "Tifa moved away almost a year ago."

* * *

_I don't understand why you have to always be gone. I get along, but the trips always feel so long…_

* * *

Cloud sat, numbly staring at the cup of tea in his hand. He was in Marianne's apartment. She lived in a complex right across from the bar on the first floor. She had invited him to dinner at her place after she'd seen how upset he was after she'd told him what she knew.

A year ago? Had he really been gone for that long?

"That…that can't be right," he had said, slightly bewildered. It couldn't have been. He tried to think of the last time he had visited Edge, but for some reason he couldn't think of when. Surely it had been less than a year though. He couldn't have been gone for that long. He'd still been trying to figure it out as Marianne led him across the street to her place. He sat wordlessly as she prepared tea and poured him a cup. To be polite, he took some sips every once in a while, but his mind was still trying to calculate just exactly how long he had been away.

Now, the woman smiled at him kindly, cradling her own mug in her hands. "I'm glad that I didn't miss you. I was worried I would. I recognized your hair though. You look the same as you did in the pictures she showed me."

Cloud was silent. He didn't really know what to say.

Marianne studied him for a moment. She seemed to be hesitating about something. But after several minutes ticked by, she sucked in a small breath and asked him anyway. "Do you love her?"

He looked up at the woman. "What?"

"Do you love her?" she repeated.

Cloud should have felt angry that this woman who he didn't know was asking him such a personal question. Yet he didn't. There was something about her that made him feel like he could tell her anything. But Cloud never did that. He was never good at telling people how he felt.

"Maybe. I don't know," was all he said.

She frowned a little, then sighed. She got up and walked out of the room. She returned shortly, holding an envelope. "She gave me this to give to you," she said. She extended her arm to him. He reached out and took it. "I hope it gives you some answers," she said. "I didn't read it, but she seemed urgent that I give it to you if you ever stopped by."

He looked at the envelope, seeing that it had his name on it in Tifa's handwriting.

"I'll leave you alone for a bit." Marianne left the room again to politely let him read the letter in private.

Cloud turned the envelope over slowly and pulled out the letter inside. He opened it and began to read:

**Dear Cloud,**

**If you're reading this, then I suppose you already know. I'm closing the bar and leaving with Marlene and Denzel. I thought about calling to tell you, but to be honest I'm kind of sick of leaving voicemails and never knowing if you get them or not. So I wrote a letter instead. The chances of you getting it probably aren't any better than you answering a phone call, but I figured this is the best way to do this…at least for me.**

**Anyway, I just need to say that I'm tired, Cloud. I'm tired of wondering if you're ever coming back. I'm tired of worrying about whether you're still alive or not. And I'm tired of trying the keep the hopes of the kids up. They miss you so much, but I don't know what to tell them when they ask about you or wonder when they'll see you again. It's not fair to lie to them anymore. I realize that you need to be on your own. Well…now you can be. I used to think that you'd maybe come around and would come back when you're ready. But it's been so long, I'm starting to learn that maybe you won't. I just can't keep living like this, wondering if it'll ever happen.**

**I'm not sure where we're going just yet. We might try a few places before we settle down again. I'll let Reeve know where we are, just so you can know that we're okay, if you care. But…please don't come see us. I don't think my heart could handle it if you came and then left again. It'll be better this way. For all of us.**

**I hope you find what you're looking for.**

**Goodbye.**

** Tifa**

* * *

_I want you to know it's a little fucked up that I'm stuck here waiting, at times debatin'. Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career. Me and the rest of the family here singing: _

_Where'd you go? I miss you so. Seems like it's been forever that you've been gone. _

_Please come back home…_

* * *

Cloud gripped the sides of the paper in his hands. A small, hollow feeling had started to form in his chest while he had been reading the letter, and now it doubled to a pit in his stomach. Tifa was gone. So were Marlene and Denzel. It was fault, he knew. He knew he should have called more often, visited them more. Instead he had ignored them, taking it for granted that they would always be there. They didn't understand why he wanted to be away, but now he realized that he probably should have tried explaining it to them. Now, he didn't know where they were. And even if he did find out, Tifa didn't want to see him anymore. She made that clear...

He laid the letter down and fought the urge to scream in anger. Not at Tifa, but at himself. He couldn't blame her for getting tired of waiting. He suddenly felt incredibly alone. _It's what you wanted, wasn't it?_ he thought to himself bitterly. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing to keep himself from going berserk.

He jerked when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and found Marianne standing over him. She had come back.

"Do you need a place to stay for tonight?" she asked, gently.

Cloud just looked at her, trying to hide the anguish he felt. While he kept his face expressionless though, Marianne seemed to be able to see right through it.

"Come this way," she said, tugging lightly on his shirt. He found his body obeying. She showed him to a small room near the back of the apartment that had a window overlooking the street. It was somewhat crowded with a small twin bed, a desk, a dresser, and a bookshelf taking up a lot of space. Overall, however, the room seemed cozy. "I moved to Edge when my son moved out here for work. He lives on the other side of town, but he visits sometimes. This is the room he sleeps in. I'm sure he won't mind if you use it for the night."

Cloud surveyed the room. The walls were painted a light blue color, reminding him of the color of the sky on the clear days when the weather was perfect and he took his time delivering packages to people. He almost wished he was out there now, trying to forget that now he didn't really have a place to come home to. For now though, this would have to do. It was better than sleeping on the road.

"If you need anything, just let me know," she said. She smiled before she closed the door and left him.

Not knowing what else to do, Cloud sat down on the bed. He finally realized that he had been clutching the letter the whole time. He smoothed it out and read it over again. His eyes caught on one sentence.

Reeve. He would know where Tifa and the children were. Cloud could easily call him and find out where they had ended up. He hesitated though. Did Tifa want him to know? She had told him how to find them, but maybe it'd be better if he didn't ask. Maybe he should just move on and try to forget about everyone else. What could he do for them anymore?

Cloud shut his eyes. He couldn't just do that. Despite what Tifa seemed to think, he did care. Even if he didn't show it well, even if they couldn't tell, he did. He had to at least know they were okay. Maybe that way, it'd be easier to finally let them go.

Opening his eyes again, he clenched on hand into a fist, determined. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number. The phone rang several times before it was picked up.

"Reeve."

"Cloud? Well this is a surprise," the man said on the other line. "Last I heard you didn't use the phone anymore."

Cloud pressed his lips into a hard line for a few seconds before answering. "I'm trying to work on that," he said. "Did Tifa talk to you?"

There was a pause on the other side as Reeve hesitated. That hollow feeling in Cloud's chest got more painful.

"Reeve, please. Just tell me if she's alright."

The Commissioner sighed. "Yes, she's fine. She's settled down with the kids now in North Corel, helping in the rebuilding process. Barret is helping keep an eye on them whenever he's not out collecting oil. Last I heard from him, Tifa got engaged."

Cloud closed his eyes. The pain bloomed through his chest and it got harder for him to breathe.

"Cloud? Are you alright?"

He opened his eyes again. "Yes. I'm alright. Thanks. That's all I needed to know."

"You should call more often, Cloud. A lot of people have been wondering how you are."

"Right," he said. "I'll do that."

Reeve sighed again. "Okay. Take care of yourself, Cloud."

They both hung up.

* * *

_I find myself just fillin' my time, with anything to keep the thought you from my mind. I'm doin' fine and I'm plannin' to keep it that way. You can call me if you find that you have something to say…_

* * *

Cloud fell back onto the bed, letting his cell phone fall out of his hand without bothering to put it away.

She was engaged. Good for her.

He stared up at the white ceiling, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. She was well and truly moved on now. Cloud felt a pang of bitter regret. After all this time, since he was a kid when he had tried to impress her and had fought to protect her, he had let her go like this? He wondered what was wrong with him. He hadn't really tried, even after he convinced himself it was for the better and that they were okay without him. He hadn't tried. Not after Meteor. Not after Geostigma hit. It was all almost too much to imagine having a normal life after.

He was happy for her. At least, he should be. She had managed to find that normal life that all of their friends had craved and some had already fallen into themselves. He knew he didn't have a right to say anything about any of it. He had let her go. She was gone.

That didn't stop it from hurting though. He closed his eyes. He felt incredibly exhausted. The pains in his stomach made him want to curl up and shut the world away. Tomorrow he would get up. Tomorrow he would continue with his job and his life.

But that was tomorrow. Right now, he would sleep and try to find the strength to do all of that sometime in between.

Without bothering to change out of his clothes, he turned on his side, facing the wall. He found himself drifting off, dreaming of a girl with long dark brown hair and ruby eyes who walked away from him, never once looking back.

* * *

_I want you to know it's a little fucked up that I'm stuck here waitin', no longer debatin'. Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses, for why you're not around and feeling so useless. It seems one thing has been true all along. You don't really know what you've got til' it's gone. I guess I've had it with you and your career. When you come back I won't be here and you can sing:_

_Where'd you go? I miss you so. Seems like it's been forever that you've been gone. _

_Please come back home…_

* * *

Cloud opened his eyes. He blinked, feeling sluggish. He'd had a bad night of sleep. He'd had a nightmare, it seems. It was really horrible. It'd had him incredibly worried and sad. He tried to remember what it was about. Something about somebody-

Tifa.

He sat up quickly, no longer feeling drowsy. She was gone? He was confused though. Where was he? He was in a room, but it wasn't the room in Marianne's apartment. This room had yellow walls and the bed was bigger than the small twin that woman had for her son. He rubbed his face trying to wake up more. That didn't make sense…

Then it hit him.

He was in Kalm. He'd stopped there to rest on the way to Junon. He hadn't been to Edge for weeks.

That means…it was just a dream.

He let out a breath as relief suddenly flooded him. If it was a dream that means, she wasn't gone. They must still be there. Unless…

He got out his phone and was about to dial the number for Seventh Heaven, but then stopped himself. That wasn't the way to do it. He should go see for himself. Edge wasn't that far away. He could stop by on his way to Junon to get his next package. Then he could see with his own eyes whether they were still there. If they were, a visit couldn't hurt. It they weren't…

He shook his head. He wasn't going to think about that just yet. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and packed up his gear, quickly setting out to leave. He had a chance to make things right. And he wasn't going to let her go so easily this time.

* * *

Cloud stopped Fenrir on the street, the soft purr of his bike going silent as he switched it off. His heart twitched with hope when he saw that there was a light on in the bar. He swung his leg off his bike and demounted, walking hesitantly toward the door. Suddenly, many doubts flooded his mind. What if it was too late? What if he couldn't fix this? He'd been gone so much and had ignored so many phone calls. Even after all that, could she wait for him?

He stopped in his tracks, suddenly frozen with self doubt.

But at that moment, the door opened. Two young children ran out and flew at him. He was surprised when they latched on around his middle and clutched him tightly.

"Cloud! You're back!" Denzel said, his grip the tightest.

"We missed you!" Marlene said, beaming up at him.

Cloud smiled a little, glad to see the children. He'd missed the two orphans that he and Tifa had adopted. There was something comforting about having them greet him as he walked towards the door. And of course, if they were there that means—

"Cloud?"

She stood in the doorway of the bar. She was smiling, but he could see the shock and slight confusion on her face. She walked toward him and the children a little. "This is a surprise. I didn't expect to see you for…" She paused for a moment before finishing. "…a while." She was trying not to seem too excited, but Cloud could tell that she was happy, that is, until a thought flitted across her face and it darkened a little. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?" she asked, her voice lined with worry.

He walked towards her holding Marlene's hand with Denzel close beside him. "No," he said, to calm her worries. He looked down at the children again before looking back at her. "I just wanted to come home."

Her face lit up, no longer bothering to hide her joy. Cloud enjoyed seeing her smile. She didn't do it often anymore. He knew that he had been the cause of that. But that would soon change.

"Come inside," she said, turning to go back into the bar. She kept her head turned to look at him though. She grinned. "We've been waiting for you."

_I know_, he thought as he followed her, the two children in his arms. _But now, you don't have to worry anymore. I'm back home…_

* * *

**So, yeah, there it is! I hope the song lyrics weren't too badly placed. I was just listening to the song one day and it made me think of how Tifa might have felt since Cloud was gone all the time. I had to make it all a dream though, because I like happy endings and they're my OTP so, hope it wasn't TOO obvious that that was coming. Haha.**

**Anyway, please review! I need constructive criticism. It hurts, but it helps a lot. I was a little lazy writing this one though. I have so many other fanfic ideas in my head that I had to get this one out because it's the shortest one. So I apologize for it being kind of rushed. But please, review review review!**

**Oh, and have a blazing day! :)**


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